Graphite waste classification and disposal cost estimation for high temperature gas and salt reactors

IF 2.3 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Annals of Nuclear Energy Pub Date : 2025-08-29 DOI:10.1016/j.anucene.2025.111833

Liam Hines , Koroush Shirvan , Per Peterson , Lance Snead

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Abstract

As high-temperature reactor designs progress to demonstration, managing the radioactive wastes from these systems presents unique challenges. This work explores the irradiated graphite source term produced by three reactor designs: The Modular High Temperature Gas reactor (MHTGR), a pebble-bed High Temperature Gas Reactor (pb-HTGR), and a Fluoride-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR). We predicted a C-14 concentration of 4.3 Ci/m³ for the MHTGR, 1.2 Ci/m³ for the pebble bed HTGR, and 2.5 Ci/m³ for the gFHR after 20 years of operation. The final C-14 concentration highly depended on the graphite nitrogen impurity, a major precursor for C-14. The C-14 concentration in all reactor types exceeded the 0.8 Ci/m³ threshold, resulting in a Class C waste classification. The costs associated with accepting the graphite after 20 years in a low-level waste disposal facility were projected to be 255 $/kWe for the MHTGR, 248 $/kWe for the pb-HTGR, and 56.8 $/kWe for the FHR.

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高温气盐堆石墨废弃物分类及处置成本估算

随着高温反应堆的设计进展到示范阶段，管理这些系统产生的放射性废物提出了独特的挑战。本研究探讨了三种反应堆设计产生的辐照石墨源项：模块化高温气体反应堆（MHTGR）、球床高温气体反应堆（pb-HTGR）和氟化物冷却高温反应堆（FHR）。我们预测，运行20年后，MHTGR的C-14浓度为4.3 Ci/m3，球层HTGR为1.2 Ci/m3， gFHR为2.5 Ci/m3。最终的碳-14浓度高度依赖于碳-14的主要前体石墨氮杂质。所有反应器类型的C-14浓度均超过0.8 Ci/m3的阈值，属于C类废物分类。在低放射性废物处理设施中使用20年后接受石墨的相关成本预计为：MHTGR为255美元/千瓦时，pb-HTGR为248美元/千瓦时，FHR为56.8美元/千瓦时。

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来源期刊

Annals of Nuclear Energy 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

21.10%

发文量

632

审稿时长

7.3 months

期刊介绍： Annals of Nuclear Energy provides an international medium for the communication of original research, ideas and developments in all areas of the field of nuclear energy science and technology. Its scope embraces nuclear fuel reserves, fuel cycles and cost, materials, processing, system and component technology (fission only), design and optimization, direct conversion of nuclear energy sources, environmental control, reactor physics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, structural analysis, fuel management, future developments, nuclear fuel and safety, nuclear aerosol, neutron physics, computer technology (both software and hardware), risk assessment, radioactive waste disposal and reactor thermal hydraulics. Papers submitted to Annals need to demonstrate a clear link to nuclear power generation/nuclear engineering. Papers which deal with pure nuclear physics, pure health physics, imaging, or attenuation and shielding properties of concretes and various geological materials are not within the scope of the journal. Also, papers that deal with policy or economics are not within the scope of the journal.